How many of us look back on our Grandfathers with awe at the wide range of skills they had? Our Grandfathers could build anything, fix anything, create whatever they needed, and do what had to be done -- all without searching Google or checking YouTube. Their heroes were men like John Wayne, Teddy Rosevelt, and, of course, their own fathers, who knew even more than they did.

Today, many men (& women), both young and old, are at the mercy of mechanics, repair companies, electricians and contractors who may or may not be telling us the truth, because we no longer know even the basics of cars, carpentry or any of the "lost" skills of our Grandfathers.

These workshops
aim to bring many of those "manly" skills back into your life. Simple things that used to be considered basic life skills, but through changing family dynamics, changing priorites and changing expectations of what constitutes "success", have somehow turned into "lost arts". How to cut up a downed tree, how to chop, stack and burn wood, how to use a saw, hatchet and machete, how sleep under the stars and cook over an open fire, how to recognize and use common hand tools for working with wood, and for basic home repair, how to do basic carpentry, change a tire, plug a leak and check your fluid levels, how to change the oil and filters in your lawn mower, how to be a man (or woman) your Grandfather would be proud to work beside.

While these workshop are geared toward skills that were traditionally considered "manly", it is NOT exclusive to men! These basic life skills are ones that everyone should have, and are things that everyone should know. We believe strongly that it is time to bring back the lost skills of our Grandfathers to the pride of place that they deserve. That everyone should know, experience, and feel the pride of being able to take care of yourself, your family, and your posessions, of having sawdust in your hair and grease under your fingernails and looking at a completed project with the knowledge of a job well done. So we can all become the Grandfathers to the next generation that our Grandfathers were to us!

››NEW! Rustic Camping & Outdoor Recreation

The advent of travel-trailers, ultralight tents and stores like REI has drastically changed what it means to "go camping", from what it was in days of our Grandparents. Yes, many of those updates are great! But there is something incredibly special about stripping away the modern bells and whistles and heading to the woods with nothing but a bedroll, a sharp hatchet, and limited supplies. This weekend will take you back to those lost skills of Rustic Camping the way our Grandfathers did it. You will sleep around the fire and under the stars, chop your own wood and cook every meal over an open fire. You'll learn some basic marksmanship, how to throw a knife and tomahawk and how to handle a spinning and/or fly rod; to set up a proper campsite, light, tend and safely extinguish your fire and fabricate the extra camp items you'll need, from tongs to tent pegs. You'll also learn the basics of felling trees, then limbing and bucking it so there will be plenty of seasoned wood for next year's fires or projects.
This will be a weekend dedicated to experiencing the food, fun and comraderie of the outdoors, in the outdoors, experiencing the joys and simple pleasures of life in a Rustic Camp.